Kiss From A Rose
by SqueakyNinja
Summary: KakaIru. Sometimes, something so little can mean so much.


**A/N:** _Straight back to KakaIru! lmao It's Valentine's Day. Of course I would write something for today! Especially since today's my birthday! ...Yes I was born on Valentine's -__-_

**Disclaimer:** _Although people have asked if I was, I am not Kishimoto, so I have no rights to these characters. If I did, Naruto would so be a more of a SasuNaru story then what it is now._

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"**K**akashi!" Iruka chastised his lover as just like one of his students. Kakashi always did hate being treated like a lowly pre-genin by the chuunin, even when he acted like it. And he was acting like one, clinging around the brunet's thin waist while he was grading papers at the table. The jounin just ignored the tanned man's cries as he only tightened his grip, not willing to let go. Iruka wondered if ignoring the childish man would work and eventually, he would either stop or just fall asleep after many tries. Instead, Kakashi's firm hold only grew tighter to the point where the teacher could not take another minute o f it. He slammed his red pen down on the table, placed his hands together, and with a swift jab at the jounin's face with his elbow did Iruka manage to shove Kakashi off.

"Ow! Damn that hurt!" Kakashi screamed as he rubbed his wounded face and wounded pride.

"Well you deserved it!" Iruka continued to scold. "If you want to act like a little child, I'll discipline you like one!" The chuunin breathed in and sighed heavily. "Honestly, how good do you think it is that Konoha's own copy nin couldn't perform his mission because he didn't think ahead and prepared for it the previous night?"

"But Iruka," Kakashi whined. "You know what tomorrow is, don't you?" Iruka quickly glanced away as he was caught off guard. He had almost forgotten.

Tomorrow was Valentine's Day.

How could have forgotten? Maybe it was the mix of a busy schedule at the mission room and a whole class of rowdy kids. That, along with Kakashi moving around, performing missions and providing guidance to his genin team, the two had barely spent any time together recently. The only time they did have together were moments like this, Kakashi in between missions and Iruka relaxing, or trying to relax, after a hard day. But even during these few breaks, Iruka's job as a teacher was never done. True, they were shinobi. They entered a world not made for breaks and vacations. They chose this path. To breathe and live for the village only existing to die for it. Yet, it was a world where love was missing but they found it with each other.

Though one would have to say it started out a little uneasy. Take it that it started out with Kakashi stalking Iruka everywhere after his annoying, hyper active student introduced the two. The silver haired man would say it was love at first sight while the brunet took it as an obsession. The jounin would continue to pop in at Iruka's usual hangouts and took every opportunity to talk with him, or at least stare at him from afar. But it was not like the chuunin was oblivious to the jounin's poor attempts. At first, he just tried playing along, talking whenever a conversation came up or try to ignore his piercing gaze. Iruka was not looking for a relationship, let alone with a man. He always put his work first. Any relationship he would have gotten himself into would always come in second to it. And because of that, they never lasted long. After a few attempts at it, Iruka gave up on love, figuring it just wasn't meant to be. Especially with a pervert like Kakashi.

But what finally did Iruka over was a simple gesture made by the copy nin. It started last Valentine's. The weather was just like how it was now, the air still and barren, the ground frozen with a thin layer of snow blanketing the village. Yet, no matter how lifeless the village seemed, the citizens still felt the warmth of love where they could find it. That day, Iruka spent majority of the day at the mission room while many people, including a number of his colleges, took the day off to spend it with the ones they loved, whether they were family, friends, or a real love. To be honest, Iruka did feel a little jealous. He never had a relationship that lasted long enough to last until Valentine's Day. But in the end, it was just another part of life. He ended his day early and walked through the snow alone, back to his apartment to spend the rest of the day by himself.

What he didn't expect, though, was that something was waiting for him back home. As he unlocked his front door and led himself inside, a sudden, unexpected aroma over took him. It was sweet, delicate, almost like lilacs. He closed the door behind him as he searched around for the source of the fragrance. It only got stronger as the chuunin walked toward his bedroom. A little hesitant at first, the tanned man eventually overcame and swung open his bedroom door, only to stand there in shock. Upon his bed, among a scattered litter of crimson petals laid a single, fragile rose. Slowly, he walked over and gently picked it up and took a slight whiff and took notice of the lilac perfume laced upon the flower. It only took the man a few more seconds to notice a small note attached to the stem. On it was a poor excuse for a henohenomoheji. Immediately, the chuunin recognized where it came from. If it wasn't for the henohenomoheji, he would have figured from the familiar chicken scratch writing after handling the copy nin's missions reports for some time now. The jounin was nowhere in sight though. Not a trace was left inside and there was no presence outside. But no matter, the teacher didn't feel alone at that moment. Something so simple had made him feel loved.

It had to have been right then and there that Iruka started to return Kakashi's feelings.

"Kakashi…" Iruka drifted off, rubbing his temples.

"If I go," Kakashi interrupted as his gaze reached the ceiling. "I might not back in time for it."

"But if you don't, who knows what kind of trouble you will get into from Hokage-sama." Iruka quickly whipped his head around when he heard Kakashi scoff. "Kakashi!"

"Don't try to scare me. Like I'm scared of some old hag."

"That _old hag_ happens to be our Hokage," Iruka rebutted.

"But it's her fault that I have a mission tomorrow!" Kakashi whined again. Iruka could only sigh more as he got up from the table and saunter over to the jounin. Gently, he kneeled down and lightly pecked his cloth covered cheek.

"I know you mean well and it's a nice gesture," he said, his tone calm and cool. "But you have a mission to prepare for. Besides, there will always be next year."

Iruka motioned to rise only to feel a cold palm wrap around his thin wrist and send him back crashing into the ground and upon Kakashi's lap. The chuunin struggled a little at first before his chocolate eyes stared upward to meet with a pair of mismatched eyes shadowed by unruly, silvery hair. Kakashi raised his hand and tugged away at his mask to reveal that sincere yet mischievous smile underneath. Slightly gawking, Iruka couldn't help but blush. No matter how many times he saw his lover's naked face, it never ceased to amaze him. He never tired of it and doubt he ever would.

"But we can't guarantee we will be here next year, can we, Iruka?" Kakashi said. Iruka was a little taken back. It was true. It was rare for a shinobi to live to old age. Although there wasn't much danger Iruka could get himself into, Kakashi on the other hand went on dangerous missions constantly. Many times, he came back and was sent straight to the hospital to recover only to go back performing missions once he got a clean bill of health. There were many times he came back, close to death. And many times, he briefly died while care was given to him. Yet, every time, he always pulled through. But who is to say he will pull through the next time?

"…We at least have now, right?" Iruka took a few minutes to respond. "So let's not worry about specific dates. Just, let's make every day special, ok?" Suddenly, his lips were caught up with another pair, slightly scarred but tender and warm to the touch. There was no tongue, no moans, no pressure. Just something simple, but so meaningful.

"Ne, you're right, Iruka," Kakashi replied after removing his lips and rose to meet Iruka's gaze. "So let's enjoy it while we can."

~*~~*~~*~

"So it's Valentine's Day and you're again not with someone," Izumo pointed to Iruka the next day in the late hours while the two were walking toward the mission room. "How are you holding up?"

"Izumo, I don't need you to butt into my personal life," Iruka complained. Of course, it was hard keep a secret within Konoha, let alone a relationship. Yet, Iruka and Kakashi were able to do it. They decided to keep their relationship low key to prevent any of Kakashi's enemies to find out and use it to their advantage. That, and Iruka couldn't tolerate his friends bugging him and ask how it is to date Konoha's ex-most eligible bachelor.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just all for fun," Izumo pointed out. "Like it's easy to not think about it, considering today, let alone your students passing out Valentines." True, Iruka was a little depressed watching his students run around the classroom and pass out Valentines to each other. The teacher easily pointed out the more extravagant gifts as being real Valentines instead of just an obligation. It did remind him of Kakashi for a little bit. Especially the way that man would always leave gifts for him from time to time. Like Iruka needed gifts to remind him who loved him. He already loved him back. All he could ever need in life was that man. Even though he meant what he said the previous night, he was still bothered the jounin would not be with him this day.

"No, it wasn't," Iruka lied. If he ever let Izumo know how he really felt, knowing him, the other would drag him along for some late night bonding with him and Kotetsu. Yet, Iruka already knew those two were going out as well and didn't want to be a bother to either one of them. Although they wouldn't see it like that, Iruka would. "I'm fine, so don't worry. Let's just focus on our work for now." The two entered the main room only for Iruka to stop dead in his tracks.

The sun slightly shined into the room and upon the desks. But upon the desk in front of his chair where he normally sat was a familiar sight. Bright red petals scattered everywhere upon the table and the surrounding floor. Again, the smell of fresh and dainty lilacs engulf the chuunin in a soft aroma. And with a few drops of water placed delicately upon it stood a single crimson rose in a small clear vase upon the desk. Izumo stood there gawking in amazement while Iruka slowly sauntered over. He gently took the rose by the stem as a small message attached to the stem caught his eyes. Carefully, Iruka examined the poorly written henohenomoheji and smiled. He suddenly gasped though as he noticed there was more to the message than a henohenomoheji.

"Whoa, a secret admirer," Izumo gasped as he walked over. "W-Who is it from?" he demanded. Iruka didn't dare to respond as he carefully read the message and couldn't stop smiling.

"It's for me to know and you to never know," Iruka laughed. He enjoyed teasing his friends. Izumo simply moaned as he dragged himself away while Iruka moved to set his bag down and start his shift. All shinobi that came by and handed in missions to Iruka wondered why the chuunin's was constantly smiling. Iruka would not say a word as he performed his job to the best of his abilities as he waiting for his shift to be over. Eventually, time whipped by and soon the brunet grabbed his things and, with rose in hand, said goodbye to his friends and fellow shinobi as he went on his way home, walking with a skip while his smile warmed his heart.

The rest of the shinobi didn't bother to see that Iruka had accidently left behind the message from his secret admirer:

今日、大事な日なんじゃなくて

_Kyou, daiji na hi nan' janakute_

しんぱいしないでって、あんたが

_Shinpai shinaide tte, anta ga._

けど、俺にはちがうって

_Kedo, ore ni chigau tte_

今日ね、あんたね、愛され始めた日だ。

_Kyou ne, anta ne, ai sarehajimeta hi da_

_~*~~*~~*~_

_Today isn't an important day, _

_so don't worry, you said._

_But to me, _

_I'm telling you _

_t__hat's not the same to me._

_Today is the day I started to be loved by you._

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**A/N: **_A big special thankies to my buddy for helping me with the Japanese at the end and for betaing it!~ I wish everyone out there a Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Chinese New Year, and for the selected few, including me, Happy Birthday!~ ...Yea, I wish myself a happy birthday..._

_Also, a happy belated birthday to my beta ThunderEmperorRaite, a happy birthday today also to HotaruTenshi, and an early happy birthday for my dear friend B-o-h!~ _

_Beta: WrongSideOfRight_


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